TO THE TEMPLE of Pattini, the shakti of Shri Shri Gorakshanatha Deva 108, which we surprisingly found in Sri Lankan foothill city Kandy, or EyeKandy as we decided to call it.
Kandy contains the Temple of the Tooth, a bit of the Buddha – born, enlightened and deaded on the full moon on the 19th that is to say today.
The guide waxed lyrical about Gorakshanatha, the founder of the pan-Indian Natha Sampradaya. He said that Theravada had it that when Maitreya, the next incarnation of Buddha, visited our little planet, he would be a Natha. Maitreya will be a Boddhisattva, an Avalokiteshvara and a Lokanath.
In Pattini’s temple several cocks strutted around cock-a-doodle-doing. The guide said that very often people would offer cocks, and sometimes other animals to the goddess – but they weren’t killed and were freely allowed to roam around. Only male animals were allowed to be offered, but we didn’t see bulls, bull elephants, rams nor Billy Goats in the circumambulatory space.
Some person listening to this noticed there were only two cocks in the precinct of the Devi’s temple. She observed, rather cynically we believe, that the same two cocks were offered to the goddess over and over again so that when they were led up to the niche where Pattini Devi lives, they thought to themselves, “oh no, not again”. ♥
Make sure you go to Sigiriya as well – absolutely impressive. It is amazing how much “old” stuff there is in Sri Lanka.
It is also funny listening to Sri Lankans complain about things like pollution, commerce, politicians, traffic etc. At the end of the complaint you typically hear “but at least it isn’t as bad as India!”
Matreya – Mahalaxshmi, Mahasaraswati & Mahakali
Matreya means “The Three Mothers”. Buddha [and Mahavira] never spoke about God other than relinquishing sense-desires and enlightenment which suits the intellectuals [and the emotionals] very well, thank you. That means you don’t have to surrender to anyone other than your own ego [or superego] which is why for most Westerners [or Western-types to be accurate], the “religions” are most appealing.
Matreya are the 3 powers [for the feminine is the power within an absolute] within every human [and Buddha do not need to “return” for He is reflected-within/governs the ego of every screw and idiot alive] and these 3 powers support the 3 principles of Truth, Creativity and Joy [otherwise also known as the “Three Wise Men from the East” [namely Vishnu, Brahma & Mahesha] when Jesus Christ, also known as Yeshoda Krishna, was born]. At the gross level within humans, Truth, which is seldom used, is Evolution, Creativity is the Intellect-cum-the Material/Physical or action, meaning our ego which is where Buddha “sits/resides”, and Joy is Emotion or inaction meaning our superego/conditionings and is where Mahavira “resides”.
When these 3 principles/powers are integrated, we have resurrection. This sort of seemingly convoluted mumbo-jumbo cannot be intellectualised [i.e. comprehended intellectually] for belief and non-belief is not the point. How may one achieve “It” is the point which is the message that Buddha/Mahavira were passing on. Self-realisation/enlightenment is not a human activity, it is a meta-physical/spiritual process whereby one becomes and when that happens, we achieve the 3 powers/principles. We become and reflects these 3 principles/powers-[mothers]. Nature/God/The Cosmos will ONLY act through enlightened souls otherwise there will be no need for Joy/Creation/Evolution. Human activities through the ego and conditionings are merely zero-sum games which goes round and round and never forwards.
Witness therefore, that Buddha [seemingly] only received his enlightenment when he rested under the banyan tree. After he had relinquished his 3 minds, his ego and superego/conditionings. What is the use when you have 100 billion ants “worshipping” you or 100 million apes for that matter? When there is no true communication, how will speaking into the latest fancy touch phone convey your message? Christ said that, “You can call me Christ, Christ, but I will not hear you” and The Koran tells that, “At the tine of resurrection, your hands will speak”. Religions are merely man-made mumbo-jumbos which is why they all pay lip-service to there being only one God but quietly murmurs, “Please God, let my belief be the real one” and then “stab” each other in the back. Why? Because they are ALL using their intellect and/or emotions. Without exception.